Purpose and Structure of RTPO’s in Washington State

RTPO’s are voluntary organizations of local government for the purpose of coordinating transportation planning. The authority to form Regional Transportation Planning Organizations was established in 1990 as part of the passage of the Growth Management Act. RTPO’s develop regional transportation plans and Regional Transportation Improvement Programs (RTIPs) and have been active in the development of Washington’s Transportation Plan and the statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan.

There are fourteen RTPO’s in Washington State. The Washington State Department of Transportation must verify that each RTPO conforms to statutory requirements. Prior to dissolving on July 23, 2015, Island County Sub-Regional RTPO and the Skagit County Sub-Regional RTPO made up the Skagit/Island RTPO (SIRTPO).

The Skagit-Island RTPO had two policy boards comprised of elected officials of the member jurisdictions and other representatives. The Island Sub-Regional Policy Board was the decision making body for Island County.